Thermohygrometer



Nov. 5, 1.935. B. BOGOSLOWSKY THERMOHYGROMETER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 31, 1933 Y T mm VL m5 H- B U E m. R U E A TTORNEY.

Nov. 5, 1935. B. BOGOSLOWSKY THERMOHYGROMETER Filed March 31, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Emma EnsnsLuwsKY WW ATTORNEY.

NOV. 5, 1935. Y B, BQGQSLOWSKY 2,019,886

' THERMOHYGROMETER Filed March 31, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 HIIIKIIIEIIIEIIIEIIIEIIIElli IN V EN TOR.

, EJ 1 15 Busmsmw'swr.

' A TTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THEBMOHYGBOMITBB Boris Bososlowtb, Bridsepo t. Conn.

Application March 81, 1933, Serlal No. 083,784

.3 Claims. 73-24) The present invention relates to a thermohygrometer, and has for an object to provide an indicating instrument of this character which will show accurately as a composite reading both the 6 temperature and the relative humidity of the air, and which at the same time will show what humidity at a given temperature is most desirable for comfort and health, enablingcorrection of the temperature and humidity conditions until 10 the instrument indicates that the proper combination of temperature and humidity are reached.

It is well known that a comfortable and healthy atmospheric environment cannot be maintained by temperature alone, or by humidity alone, but

that there must be a definite relation between them, and also that this relation varies considerably with the seasons. For instance in the summer time when.both the temperature and humidity are high the body suffers considerable l0 discomfort because evaporation from the skin is prevented by the high vapor pressure of the moist air, the skin of the body being prevented from "breathing" properly. If this temperature should be left high. and the humidity reduced considerably, the air will then be relatively dry and will'more rapidly absorb moisture from the skin, with the result that the body experiences a cooling effect although the temperature of the air remains the same.

On the other hand, during cold winter days .one very often experiences discomfort from chilliness in a room where the temperature is maintained as high as 75 F., because usually in cold weather the air in a house is very dry, and this dry air, absorbing the moisture from the skin of the body, chills it. If instead of raising the temperature, the humidity of the air in the room is considerably increased, then the vapor pressure of this moistened air will reduce the rate of evapo- 40 ration from the skin, creating the effect of warmth even though the temperature remains the same.

From these two examples it can be readily seen that a sense of comfort depends to a ,great extent upon the rate of moisture evaporation from the skin at different temperatures. There is no fixed degree of humidity that is comfortable at all different temperatures and there is no one temperature that is comfortable at different humldities.

Heretofore there has been no instrument available for convenient home use which shows clearly and accurately, without any calculation or manipulation on the part of the observer, what the exact temperature and humidity conditions of 66 the air are, and what they should be to produce the proper health and comfort effects under different seasonal conditions. Most instruments heretofore known show temperature and humidity separately, and the humidity scale usually has, the indications Low", up to 25%, Normal", be- 5 tween 25% and and "High", between 75% and 100%. However, such indications are entirely inadequate to indicate the proper health and comfort conditions, for in the summertime, for instance, a person would feel more comfortable at 20% humidity and F. temperature,

than at the Normal humidity of 25% to 75%.

It is therefore proposed in the present invention to provide an instrument which will indicate accurately the proper temperature and humidity 15 combinations under all conditions in a manner that will be entirely clear and readily understood by the average householder, and without the necessity for any calculation or manipulation.

Another object is to provide a humidity indi- 50 cator which will give accurate humidity indication at different temperatures, as distinguished from instruments heretofore in use which show humidity accurately only for a certain temperature. Whatever element is used for humidity in- $5 dicaticn, whether it be human hair, a piece of cellulose, or any other element effected by moisture, they obtain indications of humidity by the effect of moisture on this element, but as the absolute moisture-content in the air varies with 30 temperature, the indications of these instruments are affected by temperature, so that it is only possible for them to be accurate at the certain temperature for which the scale of humidity is prepared in the particular instrument.

It is proposed in the present invention to provide a humidity scale which is variable with the temperature, so that at any temperature within the range of the instrument the relative humidity will be accurately shown. It is also proposed 40 to provide an indicator which will indicate in combination with the temperature and relative humidity indications what the best humidity for health and comfort should be at the indicated temperature, at the particular season of the year. 45 The user will thus be enabled to tell at a glance whether the existing conditions are correct, and if not correct to determine what is necessary to be done to obtain the correct conditions.

With the above and other objects in view em- 5 pointed out in the claims. 68

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a thermohygrometer according to one exemplary illustrated embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the temperature and humidity indicating scale element employed.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation, with the cover plate removed, and with the indicating scale element partially broken away.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the humidity affected hygrostatic element employed.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line 8-4 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a front elevation, with the cover plate removed.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken along the line Iii-l0 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a flattened plan view of the scale element.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 6, the thermohygrometer, according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention shown therein, comprises a casing ill, of generally rectangular form having a front cover plate ll secured thereto, as by screws l2, and provided with a sight aperture l3 having a pointer l4 formed at one end in relation to the temperature scale, hereinafter more fully referred to. The sides of the casing are preferably slotted. as at l5.

Within the upper part of the casing there is arranged a temperature afi'ected element, shown as the thermostatic bellows type, although it will be understood that any desirable type of element may be employed. This consists of a fixed upper frame part IE, having a flange portion i1 secured to the casing by means of screws I 8, a movable lower frame part l9, and end frame parts and 2| having fulcrum support with the ends of the parts l6 and IS, the upper and lower ends of the parts 20 and 2| being provided for this purpose with knife edges 22-22 which engage V-grooves 23-23 formed in said ends of the portions l6 and I9. The thermostatic bellows 24 is disposed within the frame parts between an upper fixed point support 25 provided in the part It and engaging the recessed upper end bearing portion 26 of the bellows, and an adiustable support 21 provided in the part I! and engaging the recessed lower end bearing portion 28 of the bellows.

In the lower limit position the end frame parts 20 and 2| are substantially vertically disposed, the frame part 20 abutting an adjustable stop screw 29 toward which it is drawn by a spring 20 tied between said frame part and the side of the casing. In this position the bellows is arranged at a slight angle inclined so that its lower end is slightly to the right, and upon expansion through rising temperature swings the end frame parts 20 and 2| and the lower part I! to the right, as indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 1.

Upon the lower end of the end frame part 20 there is provided an arcuate rack gear 3|, concentric to the upper fulcrum of said frame part, and which meshes with a pinion gear 32 carried upon a shaft 22 Joumaled in a bracket 24 secured to the side of the casing. Upon the end of the shaft 33 the scale element 25 is secured by a nut 36, this element being in the form of a segment, counter weighted at its apex by means 5 of a counter-weight 21. A temperature scale 28 is provided adjacent the periphery and shows through the opening I! at the right hand end in relation to the pointer H.

The humidity affected element which is located in the lower part of the casing is of substantially similar construction to the thermostatic element, but in place of the bellows is provided with humidity affected members adapted to expand with increase in humidity. This elel5 ment comprises an upper fixed frame part 29, having an attaching flange 40 secured to the casing by. screws 4|, 9. lower movable frame part 42, end frame parts 42 and 44 having knife edge fulcrums 45 engaging V-grooves 48 20 in the ends of the parts 39 and 42, and humidity affected posts 41 having recessed caps 48 at their ends and mounted between fixed points 48 secured in the upper part 39 and adjustable points 50 secured in the lower part 42. The elements 25 41 are of. well known type consisting of wooden tubes having the grain running cross-wise and adapted to expand as humidity increases. An adjustable stop screw Iii abuts the end frame part 43, the latter being drawn toward the stop by means of a spring 52 tied between the casing and the lower part 42. The. posts 41 are disposed at a slight angle to the end frame parts and upon expansion swing the end and bottom frame parts to the right, as indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 1.

An arcuate gear rack portion 53 is provided on the end frame part 44 in concentric relation to its upper fulcrum and meshes with a gear 54 carried upon a shaft 55 provided in a bracket 66 secured to the lower portion of the casing, a pointer hand 51 being geared upon the end of this shaft which swings as the humidity affected element is actuated. The end of this pointer shows in the aperture l3 and moves in relation to the humidity indicator scale 58 provided on the scale element 35.

The humidity scale 58 indicates percentages of humidity for any temperature indicated by the temperature scale 38, the positions of these indications varying in accordance with the effect 60 of moisture of the air upon the humidity element at different temperatures. At one point upon the scale 58 there' is provided a distinctively colored band 59 which may be designated as a comfort zone, and which may for instance have a red section for summer and a blue section for winter. This band will indicate the proper humidity for health and comfort at any particular temperature within the normal temperature range. As shown in Fig. 1 the humidity is indicated as being 60 at between 50% and 75% with the temperature at I'l F. This being out of the comfort zone it indicates excessive humidity, the proper humidity for comfort being indicated by the zone as under 25%. Should the conditions then be changed to obtain the proper relative humidity and temperature the pointer 51 will move into relation with the comfort zone.

In Figs. 7 to 11 I have shown a modified form of the invention, in which the thermostatic bellows B0 is mounted at its lower end upon a bracket GI secured to the casing 62, and is provided at its upper end with a vertically disposed gear rack .63 meshing with a pinion gear 64 provided upon the shaft 65 of a drum 66 mounted between p ture in relation to said scales.

The humidity aflected element comprises a pointer hand 16, pivotally mounted upon a stud 'II carried by a bracket support 18 secured to the lower end of the casing, the pointer being coun-,

terweighted at its lower end. as at I9. and having a coiled hair spring ill connected between it and the stud 11. The humidity aflected member consists of an arc-shaped strip ll of cellulose, having one end adiustably mounted upon the bracket I! by an adjustable screw 82, and its other end providedwith a finger extension bearing upon the pointerhand, the hair spring I. pressing the hand into contact with said finger end. As humidity increases the element ll tends to straighten out 'and the hair spring moves the hand to the left as shown in Fig. '7.

The upper end of the pointer hand moves in the aperture 13 and is disposed in relation to the humidity scale ll provided on the drum, this scale having percentages indicated in the true varied relation with the respective temperature indication, in the same manner as the scale SI of the first embodiment. A distinctively colored comfort indicating zone 85 is also provided in the same manner as the comfort indication 59 of the first embodiment.

The operation is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, with the exception that the scale element on the drum i8 is rotatable as temperature changes,'as distinguished from the swinging scale element 35 of the first embodiment.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of the invention but itwillbeobviousthatchangesmaybemade therein within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

.-Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 5

1. In a temperature and humidity indicating instrument, temperature actuated means, humidity actuated means, chart means arranged to be moved by one of said actuated means, and indicating means arranged to be moved by said other actuated means in relation to said chart, said chart having indicia means arranged to indicate varying temperatures and relative humidity corresponding to the varying shown temperature.

' 2. In a temperature and humidity indicating instrument, temperature actuated means,-humidity actuated means, chart means arranged to be moved by said temperature actuated means with changes of temperature, and indicating means arranged to bemoved by said humidity actuated means in relation to said chart means, said chart means having indicia means adapted as said chart means is moved to show varying temperatures, and indicia means in relation to each temperature indication adapted to show relative hu- :5 mldity for each temperature and in relation to which said indicating means moves with changes of humidity.

3. In a temperature and humidity indicating instrument, temperature actuated means, humidso ity actuated means, chart means, means cooperating between said chart means and one of said actuated means adapted to impart relative movement between said chart means and said one actuated means, indicating means disposed in relation to said chart means, and means cooperating between said indicating means and said other actuated means adapted to impart relative movement between said indicating means and said other actuated means, said chart means having indicia means arranged to indicate varying temperatures and relative humidity corresponding varying shown temperature.

BORIS BOGOSLOWSKY. 

